15 sex offenders charged with unregistered email accounts

Fifteen registered sex offenders were arrested this week for allegedly using email accounts on social networking sites like Facebook without first registering those accounts with the state Sex Offender Registry, officials announced Thursday.

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Uticaod

Posted Dec. 19, 2013 at 11:30 AM

Posted Dec. 19, 2013 at 11:30 AM

UTICA

Fifteen registered sex offenders were arrested this week for allegedly using email accounts on social networking sites like Facebook without first registering those accounts with the state Sex Offender Registry, officials announced Thursday.

Under E-Stop legislation passed in 2008, these Oneida County sex offenders were charged with felonies and issued tickets to appear in Whitestown Town Court following a sweep by the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, New York State Police, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Kirkland, Utica and Rome.

While the arrests do not suggest any of these individuals were attempting to contact underage children online, law enforcement officials said during a news conference Thursday that it is important to hold sex offenders responsible when they don't follow the rules.

"Registered sex offenders have certain duties and responsibilities, and are reminded of those responsibilities yearly through their annual registration verification," Sheriff Robert Maciol said. "Law enforcement's duty and obligation is to ensure that all sex offenders comply with their duties and responsibilities… It's also our obligation that this doesn't advance to the next level."

Child Advocacy Center Chief Dean Obernesser said the following registered sex offenders were arrested this week:

Domingo Pierce, 21, of Taberg

Keith Ward, 43, of Clark Mills

Frederick Buckingham, 43, of Camden

Andrew Potter, 23, of Verona

Francis Antkow, 36, of Bridgewater

Nicholas Kampf, 28, of Deansboro

Jacob Toner, 32, of Clark Mills

Keith Roux, 46, of Rome

Kathy Goralczyk, 53, of Westernville

Timothy Narolis, 30, of Marcy

Troy Janicke, 40, of New York Mills

Joseph Ficchi, 23, of Marcy

John Wystozaly, 35, of Bridgewater

Michael Ostrander, 33, of Cassville, currently in the Oneida County jail.

Blaine Wiggins, 33, of New York Mills, who also faces an additional charge of failure to notify change of address.

During the news conference, state police Troop D Capt. Mark Lincoln credited the county's Child Advocacy Center for taking time to conduct this "proactive enforcement," an operation that other police agencies also plan to do in the future.

"They all know what social networking, what a fertile environment that provides for identifying and grooming new victims," Lincoln said.

Although Facebook has a policy prohibiting certain sex offenders from using their site, these arrests show that registered sex offenders are ultimately among those who do use such social networking sites.